ALL THE LATEST
-Things are a little intense at the moment, I’m writing Old Dog #5 while inking #4, and I had an idea for Alien which complicated the story, so I need to do some digging there to work it out. Took a couple of days off to see some scenery and clear the cobwebs and it definitely worked.
-I’ve pulled out of PROJECT SIX. This was to be a licensed one-shot at Marvel. I’d pitched a few story ideas over the last few months but the licensor has eventually shot them down and while I could keep pitching, I just don’t have time right now, to keep batting and have nothing hit. I’m in the weeds with a lot of ALIEN stuff [as well as OLD DOG] and just don’t have the bandwidth to come up with a whole new story right now. Better to say ‘no’ than commit further to something that could be a problem. The editor was very understanding [made sure I wasn’t leaving him high an dry]and I hope I can do something else with him down the line. For those who don’t know, editors are just fine when you say ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘no’. They MUCH prefer that over you taking a gig and end up screwing them over with missing deadlines, or whatever else.
-Currently inking the first half of OLD DOG 4. Here’s a page of pencils.
I messed up Old Dog’s hand in panel 4, drawing a right hand instead of a left hand, but fixed it in the inks. Thanks to Chris Burnham for pointing it out online.
-I’ve been working on my idea for the second arc of ALIEN, writing out the pitch. Have to run it by the licensors [20th] of course. I wouldn’t really need to get this in so early but if approved, it’d affect the arc I’m currently writing so need to get past all that red tape asap, so I’m developing Arc 2 while writing #3. Trying to not write myself into a corner, while keeping my options open in case Arc 2 isn’t approved. It’s a delicate tightrope I’m currently trying to walk. My own fault of course, I just want this whole thing to be so good!
-Did a podcast! I was on Matt Rosenberg’s IDEAS DON’T BLEED Substack podcast. I had a really good/fun chat with Matt over the bulk of 2 hours, so we covered a lot of stuff that wasn’t the usual promo spiel. Hi to all the Ashcan Press subs who subbed here to give Declarations a chance. Cheers!
-Speaking of podcasts, the excellent Clayton Cowles, letterer of OLD DOG as well as all your other favourite comics] was featured on the excellent Off Panel. Very much worth a listen here.
-After the last Declarations [#114] I was informed that was the 5th anniversary of the SAVAGE TOWN Exhibition we did in Limerick to give the book a proper launch in the city it was set in. It was an amazing night, with live performances, an interview panel, and cans of cheap booze I got from across the road like I did in my college days.
The event took place in the wonderful Ormston House gallery space. Strangely, when I was a kid that space had a Forbidden Planet store in the basement, which is where I picked up my first chunk of American comics. How mad, to return years later with an exhibition of art from the first graphic novel I’d written! Mad world, so it is. I remember we filled the place on the night, people had to queue to get in, it was insane! Thanks to Ormston House for sending me these photos [and lots more], taken by Shane Serrano. A wonderful trip down memory lane. Would really love to do something similar when the trade of OLD DOG is out, we’ll see…
ALIEN
Marvel officially announced the ALIEN series revealing this Gabriele Dell'Otto variant cover for ALIEN #1. I believe it’s going to be a rare incentive cover so any collectors better look into getting this sooner rather than later.
The official Marvel PR is at this link but here’s what I had to say…
"It's incredibly exciting to take on such a brilliant franchise ...the potential for great stories is limitless,” Shalvey said. “I feel like the themes from the films remain quite relevant to today, which makes me feel like we're able to tell contemporary stories set in that iconic universe. I'm very much hoping to channel the mood and atmosphere of those films while doing something new and Andrea has done an incredible job of putting the reader in that recognizable world. With this new series, I think we have a really interesting addition to the lore of Alien.”
As I said above, I’m wrapping up #3 as Andrea is handing in gorgeous pencils for #2. Everything’s coming together quite nicely.
BEST OF 2000AD
I’m finally able to show this cover! I drew it about 3 years ago, before the Covid shutdown. This is the only paid work I’ve ever done with 2000AD, many over the years assumed I broke in via the title, but nope! Really happy with this piece, I felt like my colouring took a step up on this piece, but then I had to sit on it for years!
As they had previous covers with the title on top, I was asked to do a cover that would work with Tom Muller’s vertical trade dress, which was a nice design challenge. Here’s Tom talking about his approach…
The only way to get this cover is to order below as my cover is a web exclusive. So pre-order now!
TIME BEFORE TIME
Issue 21 is all wrapped up and ready to go to the printer featuring absolutely stunning linework by Jorge Coelho with brilliant colour work by Chris O’Halloran
There is a VERY cool reveal in #20, out tomorrow! Hope it blows the readers away…
I should say, as we’re about to start assembling TIMELINES content for the final arc, if you want to get a letter printed in the book before we wrap, write us asap at timebeforetimelines@gmail.com [mark ‘OK to print’]
DEC RECS
FORGED
Written by by Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann
Art by Mike Henderson
Colour by Nolan Woodard
Published by Image Comics
I was fortunate enough to be send the first 3 issues of FORGED written by Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann, with art by Mike Henderson [my old collaborator on DEADPOOL V OLD MAN LOGAN] and colours by Nolan Woodard. Mike had told me about this project aaaaaaages ago, he’s been slaving away on this for a long time, so long in fact that each issue is 40-something pages, meaning over 100 pages of the book are all done!
This is a great book, I would recommend this for the art alone; big, bombastic, elegantly composed, wonderfully composed big broad shapes [be they powerful figures or geometrical spaceships] knocking off each other in an epic fashion. Mike has levelled up to an even higher level than his DEAD MAN LOGAN run, Nolan’s colours are amazing and do I really need to sell Greg and Eric to you? The FOC was yesterday, but order the damn book anyway.
OUT SOON
February 8th
TIME BEFORE TIME #20 [W/C]
STAR WARS HIDDEN EMPIRE #3 [VC]
GHOST RIDER #11 [VC]
Mar 1st
STAR WARS HIDDEN EMPIRE #4 [VC]
March 15th
TIME BEFORE TIME #21 [W/C]
Nice!